Improvement in carding-eng ines



UNITED STATES PATENT OEETCE.

EVAN LEIGH, 0F MANCHESTER, ENGLAND.

IMPROVEMENT lN CARDING-ENGINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 50,2 l l, (lated September 26, 1865.

' To all whom it may concern 'Kingdom of England, mechanical engineer,

have invented new and useful Improvements in Uarding-Engines for Garding Cotton and 'other Fibrous Material; and I do hereby dcclare that the following is a lull and exact description thereof, reference being had to the gures and letters on the accompanying sheet of drawings.

This invention relates to the engine or machine used for carding cotton or other fibrous materials, in which I employ an endless chain of ats or top-cards so connected that the flats are self-stripping'and can accommodate themselves to the necessary angle. to the surface of the main cardingcylinder required in carding while traversing over the main cylinder. l accomplish this desirable object by hanging or suspending them upon axes at their ends` by means of set-screws inserted at each end ofthe lats,thesaidset-screwspassingthroughhushed chains or links, as shown in the acccompanying drawings.

In order to adjust or set the a ts or top-cards to the main cylinder, I employ adjustable segmental guides, over which they slide; and to give to the face ot each ot' these top-cards the requisite angle to the face of the main cardin gcylinder, I cut the ends of the ats (which I prefer to be made of cast-iron) to a bevel curve corresponding with and fitting the curve ot' the segmental guides. As these tlats move slowly around they are stripped bya drifting-comb, to which an oscillatin g motion is given, and then they slide over an arched frame, et", ixed on the top of the engine. The back edges of the ila-ts, which are hollowed out or curved, come in contact with the said arched frame af and slide over it; but the curve or hollow is not beveled, but cutin a parallel line with the surface ot' the wire card on the hat, so that its outer edge can reston the plates more efficiently. This arrangement admits of the flats being ground or sharpened by a grinding-roller as the cards are at work, without removing them from the engine.

Another ofmyimprovements consistsin supporting the stripping-box (which may be lifted to admit ot' grinding and stripping the main cylinder) on arms hinged from the same brackets that support the front or stripping combshaft, which arms are made with a curve or swan-neck to pass over the comb, which not only has the advantage ot' simplicity, but allows the bottom end of the stripping'box to come nearer to the doft'er, which arrangement prevents the collection ot' waste between it and the doffer.

These improvements will be clearly understood by reference to the accompanying sheet of drawings, in which- Figures l and 2 are side elevations of a carding-engine; and Figs. 3, et, 5, (i, and 7 are parts of the same, drawn full size.

In Figs. l and 2, a represents the framework of the machine, b, the main cylinder; d, the doffer-cylinder, e, the licker-in as usually con structed; f, the endless chain of flats; g, the dofng or oscillating comb, h, an internallytoothed wheel which gears into the pinion fi, (shown in dotted lilies, Fig. 1,) which pinion is iixed on the end ofthe main-cylinder shaft.

`Theinternal wheel, h, has a pulley, k, cast upon or xed to it, on which the strap L works. This strap passes to the underside of the large pulley m, keyed on the (iOffer-shaft, and then over the small pulley n, fixed on the calender-shaft o, and is kept tight bythe weighted leverp and pulley q. To the large pulley m is tixed a chain wheel or pulley, i', which gives motion through the band or chain s to the small shaft t, on the end of which is iixed a chain wheel or pulley, over whichthe band or chain s passes. The small shaft t has a crank or eccentric upon it, which oscillates the stripping-comb u, and also drives the flats by means of the bevelwheels v and worm w working in the wormwheel :l: keyed on the shaft y, on which are also fixed notched wheels, which drive the liats. The flats are adjusted to the main cardingcylinder by turning the nuts d', which Work upon the screws b. These screws pass through the swivel-sockets c to adjust the distance of the periphery of the segment a from the center or axis of the main carding-cylinder. The peripheries ofthese segments should be finished to the same diameter ot' the circle as the main carding-cylinder, and when the cards of the latter become worn, so as to reduce the diameter, the segments a may be sprung the merest tritle by means of the adjusting screws, to make them correspond with the slightly-reduced diameter of the cylinder.

The flats or top-cards can be ground'while the card is at work by the grinding-roller e', mounted on pedestals f', as shown in Fig. 1. A circular brush can also be Worked, in place of the grinding-roller, from the same pedestals, or those shown at g. 0n the shaft ofthe main cylinder is xed a large pulley, It', which gives motion to a small pulley, t, on the end of the licker-in shaft 7e by means of the cross-strap l', all shown in Fig. 2. The dofling-comb g is Worked from the licher-in shaft 7c', on Whichis tiXed a crank or eccentric, m, which gives motion to the connecting-rods n', Fig. 1, oonneoted by a lever, o', to the oscillating shaft and comb g.

My improvements in stripping-boxes are shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Upon the brackets supporting the stripping-comb u are arms p', Which are made of a suitable curve to allow the strippin g-box q (to which they are attached) to pass over the comb u and out of the Way of the flats or cards when it is required to grind or strip the main cylinder. By this arrangement, also, the stripping-box is brought nearer the dofter, and consequently much less waste of fly is produced.

In myimproved flat (shown in enlarged sections in Figs. 3, 47 and 5) the round projection s, which receives the chain-screw r', is cast with and in contact with the back rib, s', by which the flat is materially strengthened, and a clear space is left at the surfaced end, where the flats slide upon the Y arched frames a. These arched frames a. are supported at their ends by the same brackets that support the ends ot' the segmental guides a', and are consequently adjusted with them. The bevel upon the under surface, adapted to suit the segmental'guides a', is shown at t', Figs.3 and 4.

The hushed chain or1inks,which are attached to the end of the flats, are shown at u', Figs. 6 and 7, the bush c having a hole, w', through which the chain-screws rf, Figs. 3, 4, and 5, pass, and thus allow the flats to accommodate themselves to the curves of the segmental guides a and archod frames a.

I claiml. The peculiar construction shown and described of an endless chain of flats or top-cards, being self-stripping, and to which any definite angle to the periphery of the main carding cylinder, when at Work, can be given.

2. The hushed chain, by which the iiats are hung or suspended in such a Way that the pressure oftheir own weight is received by the chainbushes and the atsare allowed to swivel freely and adjust themselves to any angle to the surface ot' the main carding-cylinder they may have been cut for.

3. The general arrangement and combination of all the parts, as herein described, and illustrated in the accompanying sheet ot' drawings.

Done at Manchester, England, this 9th day of September, 1864.

p EVAN LElGH.

Witnesses:

EDWARD J osEPH HUGHES, Patent Agent, 20 Gross Street, Manchester.

J oHN BLooDWoRrH, Patent Agent, 20 Cross Street, Manchester. 

